5 Digital Tools to engage 100% of your class

You know that moment when the spotlight shifts from the teachers to the student, when you feel that you are in the background and your kids have take over and are completely engaged in learning? I love those moments and I try to create as many of them as possible. This process becomes so much easier with technology.

“We need to embrace technology to make learning more engaging. Because when students are engaged and they are interested, that's where learning takes place.” -Edtechreview

One of the realities that we face not only in school but in everyday life is that technology is all around. Why fight it? Why not use it to your advantage? Our students are bringing computers to school every day in the form of smart phones. Our schools are being outfitted with wifi networks so this eliminates barriers to access especially if you do not have a laptop or iPad for every student in your class.

1. Here is a guide to get you started if you have not ventured into the Twitter ocean.
  Most of your students are on twitter already. If they are not then it is easy to register and create a profile. Why not have a class twitter chat? You can create your own classroom hashtag and use it for review, or even assessment. I can see this as a great way for students to help each other and for your to provide a little assistance with homework or review for a test?

2. One of the best features of Google Docs is that once it has been shared with another person, the ability to work synchronously on the same document is possible. This is a tremendous benefit for small teams to be able to edit and contribute at the same time on one file. So, lets say that you want your small groups to write a document that address a question or challenge pertaining to the objective of your lesson. They can do so in and outside of class together in their own homes remotely. This is a beautiful thing that only Google and technology has made possible! Here is a brief Google Docs Guide to give you more specific information.

3.   One of my favorites is Google Hangouts. Your iPad or smart phone to have a discussion/collaboration between small groups in your classroom and another classroom in the district/state/country/world. A colleague of mine just set up a hangout with a class in Spain. If you are interested in connecting with other professionals in and around the country/world I highly recommend getting involved with Google+ communities. You will be able to find others who are interested in connecting with you. Here is a brief guide to Google Hangouts.

4.   If you are looking for something to get your kids out of their seats and move around a QR code challenge is a nice way to get blood flowing to the brain and the body. You can create a QR code with free easy to use QR code generators like this one. I have taken YouTube video URLs and using smart phones or iPads, students can scan them and then complete the task that is assigned. QR codes are one of the most efficient and effective ways to direct students to a digital source. I would use them and put them on my walls in a certain order. The solution would be visible at the top of another QR code somewhere else in the room. So, if the team completed the math challenge and arrived at a solution that was nowhere to be found at the tops of the QR codes around the room, they knew there was a mistake. If their solution matched one then they went to that code and scanned. I usually offered a prize to the team that completed the whole set of challenges. 

5.   Padlet has really stepped up their game. If you have not used this tool for a while there are new options. They now feature the ability to upload voice/video recordings, attachments, take a picture or upload one that is saved, or upload  a link to a web page, or just write a few words in the note as has always been the case.

When you create a class padlet, you can utilize this forum in many different ways. It can be a "parking lot" for questions or insights into what they have learned (exit tickets). This can be a way for student to demonstrate mastery of a concept or skill by using one of the media upload features. The possibilities are endless.

How do you engage your students? Thank you for reading my post. Please pass it along to anyone who might be interested!

Flipped classroom

I have just started using apps on my iPad that allow students to record themselves as they solve a problem orally. I use notability and educreations. I really like these two apps. I think that notability is more sophisticated and dynamic. There are more options you can use to format a document or create a document.

I am curious, do you use some kind of application or allow your students to record themselves for their benefit or for the benefit of others that you teach?

I have a daily warm-up that my students begin immediately upon entering my class. I will usually rotate through students who I choose to demonstrate how to solve the warm ups and I will play the recordings for subsequent class periods. I will also dedicate the last few minutes to discuss homework assignments and allow volunteers to record how they approached solving a problem and use it in attachments in emails that I send home. Usually if several students have the same questions I know that the majority of students will when they reach that part on the homework (usually the night before it is due).

I found this article on how teachers can encourage students to record tutorial videos for other students and it made me wonder if any of you have experience with this or even flipped classrooms? If you have not heard the term before a "flipped classroom" is one where the students are asked to research a topic via online video or website and then come to class with some idea able to discuss the topic so that the teacher serves as a discussion facilitator. In my school I can not rely on this system because not all of my students have access to internet at home. 

http://ww2.kqed.org/mindshift/2014/11/03/the-benefits-of-students-teaching-students-through-online-video/

Please check out the article and tell me what you think.

1) Do you use any peer tutorial systems in your class?

2) Do you use technology or recording software to facilitate your tutorials?

Differentiating instruction

In almost every professional development or inservice training I attend I hear about how we as educators should strive to implement and sustain a classroom that fully plans for differentiated instruction.

When I began teaching I incorrectly thought that meant increasing rigor for those students that needed a challenge. Once I was informed otherwise that I was expected to simultaneously challenge my advanced, reach my on level, and fill in gaps for those behind, I was left in a quandary asking how am I going to accomplish this in 8 hours?

I still don't have a perfect solution and believe that I most likely never will. Every student is unique and has different needs. I read this article and was relieved that differentiated instruction is a necessity and something that we can attain!

The article also discusses teaching with the multiple modalities of learning in mind. Again, this is another very misunderstood aspect of teaching. I was taught that creating and delivering lessons that incorporate the auditory, kinesthetic, and visual aspects were the best for our students. I thought it ironic that studies show most students don't even know which modality they learn best with.

Check out this article, and tell me about your own experience with differentiation and student performance.

http://www.thecollegefix.com/post/20744/

My district just recently hosted a twitter chat (#Haysedchat) about differentiation. Here is the storify link Lots of great resources and suggestions throughout this chat, so please, feel free to check it out and participate with us. 8:00pm central, every other Thursday.

So, how do you plan and implement differentiated instruction into your classroom?

Have you found a great way to differentiate using technology?

in your professional development so far this year or in any previous training have you learned of any good ways to differentiate?

Exit Tickets

Exit tickets

In many of the PLC/department meetings that I attend, my principal will inevitably mention formative assessments- how do we check for understanding. Rightly so, ideally we should not let a single student leave out class without having assessed their understanding. There are many ways that we can do this, and everyone has a technique or strategy that works best for their class.

I used exit tickets a lot last year but for some reason have gotten away from them. i have shifted to kinds of assessments like one on one conferencing (1-2 minutes), small group presentations, and artifacts of authentic learning. Some times I do not leave enough time at the end of class to give my students the opportunity to write an exit ticket.

An article I found gave me a whole bunch of options other than just the small paper written response. Have you heard of an app called Socratic, or quizizz, padlet or kahoot?

Here is the article. I hope you enjoyed as much as I did.

http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/top-teaching/2015/03/using-exit-tickets-assessment-tool

I am curious if you use exit tickets in you classroom?

Do they work? Do you consider them a good source to gauge your student's understanding?

What kind of system do you use to "take the pulse" of your class and their level of mastery?